More than beauty

The Ceylon Gem Guide

How gems are cut and judged, what they have meant for two thousand years, and the island that produced them.

Understanding gems

How stones are cut, judged and described — the practical knowledge behind a listing.

Treatments explained

Heated or unheated, oiled, irradiated — what each treatment does, what it does to the price, and why only a laboratory can tell.

Oval, cushion, emerald cut, cabochon — what each shape does to light, and why a cutter chooses it.

Meanings & tradition

What these stones have meant to people for two thousand years, told as tradition.

The Vedic tradition of nine gems for nine celestial bodies, worn by the kings of Lanka for two millennia.

Find the stone tradition assigns to your birth month — every month of the year is mined on this island.

Which gems tradition pairs with each energy centre and star sign.

Traditional beliefs from crystal-healing and astrological lore — not medical or financial advice.

The island

Why Sri Lanka, and why for so long.

Ratna-Dweepa: from King Solomon's legend to a princess's ring.